An unseen shadow
by Sultar
Summary: A young, injured girl is under the care of K'Valdemar. She seems so sweet and naive, haunted by the unknown terrors that attacked her. But Firesong has some unshakable doubts about her... Completed a long time back, but I've followed some good advice an
1. Chapter 1

Firesong gazed down at the bustling activity under his ekele from a fluff of cushions on his balcony. Underneath him, hertasi swarmed around, tearing down lamps and replacing them with their latest winter creations, which shone brilliantly in different shades of green, blue, and brown. Darian was strolling through the pathway hand in hand with Keisha, locked in a deep, and probably private, conversation.

Firesong gave a little, satisfied smile. Keisha and Darian had had a heated argument about a month ago, an argument that quickly led up to a full-scale fight. It was all quite complicated. Darian could see no point of Keisha going back to Errold's Grove, now that two fully trained healers had taken over her post. Keisha was thinking the same, but when her lover had come storming in, in a horrible mood because of some idiot causing trouble in the council, and demanded that she stop her visits, she had instantly retaliated. Maybe if she had been a little more patient with him, there wouldn't be an argument, Firesong contemplated. But Keisha was also a bit moody that day, and the little argument quickly scaled higher, ending with them absolutely refusing to talk to each other.

And that was when Silverfox and I saved the day. Meddling isn't meddling when it's for the right reason.or rather, the end justifies the means. Getting Darian feeling as guilty as it was possible for a human to feel wasn't that hard. He was naturally very sensible and knew that the fight was, basically, mostly his fault. Keisha was a little more difficult, but Firesong managed to coax Silverfox to work his magic.

And now look. They're the world's sweetest lovebirds all over again, Firesong gave a sardonic snicker as Darian leaned over to whisper something in his lover's ear.

"So, are we resorting to watching the love affairs of the younger generation for amusement?" Firesong swerved his head around to see Silverfox leaning on the balcony's doorframe and giving a small smile at him.

"Hardly," he retorted, "I was ju-"

His sentence dribbled to a halt as an owl's screech resonated from just outside the vale. Wintermoon! But why? We haven't had anything wrong since. . .ever!

Quickly, he sprinted down the stairs of his ekele, Silverfox at his heels. He heard Darian dashing to the outskirts not far ahead, and galloping hooves that could only mean that Shanti was nearby. Her mentor had been forced to return to the haven, as Valdemar had become short handed over the years, but Shandi had manage quite happilly on her own.

:Mind giving me a lift?: He mindspoke the dyheli hurriedly as he raced through the pathway.

A young stag gave the affirmative, pounding towards him at an incredibly swift pace. Without hesitation, Firesong swung aboard onto the spiny withers of his mount. The painfully spiny withers of his mount. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he hung on with absolute determination as the dyheli thundered towards the shrill screams of the owls.

It didn't take long on a sprinting dyheli, and Firesong soon saw what K'tathi was screeching about.

A young, girl lay, limp, on the forest bed. Wintermoon was nowhere in sight.


	2. Chapter 2

Note: This is my first piece so if I'm doing anything wrong please say so. P.S: I accidentally used Wintermoon instead of Wintersky, so now Wintermoon is now visiting the 'famed' K'Valdemar for a while.

:Firesong! Silverfox! Shanti!: Darian's faint mental voice sent Firesong's dyheli racing off again. As he glanced wildly back, he saw that Shanti and her companion were taking charge of the girl. Silverfox, bestride another dyheli, was charging after him.

Good. There's no need to worry about her, whoever she is. The flitting thought flew by briefly in Firesong's mind like just about two thousand other notions were doing.  
:Where's Wintermoon? What's happening?:

:I. . .need. . .a bit. . .of help here,: came a weak, faraway reply, with a hint of amusement covered by concern, :It seems. . .he's stuck. . .under. . .a tree.:

A tree? A Tayledras, stuck under a tree? If situation was any less desperate, Firesong would have laughed out loud. As it was, he simply relayed it to Silverfox, who did laugh, more out of relief than any much else.

"So this is what Tayledras scouts do!" Silverfox yelled, "Run around the forest and get stuck under trees!"

But as he started thinking about it, Firesong grew a little more concerned. It wasn't like Wintermoon to do anything.clumsy. Certainly, the K'Shyna visitor had never snapped a twig walking through the forest, much less fallen victim to a falling tree.

No. Something's going on here. Something made the tree fall.

:We're almost there,: he mindspoke Darian, :Be wary. Not only of any enemies. Of Wintermoon as well.:

: ?:

:Does it sound like Wintermoon to not be able to avoid a tree?:

:Well. . .You're right. If you can guard me I'll do a magic search around this area.:

:Done.:

Just as he said this, Firesong's dyheli galloped into view of Darian and an unconscious Wintermoon. And Wintermoon was, in fact, stuck underneath a tree. A particularly large tree.

Gently, he let a little tendril of power touch the scout's mind. Nothing. Probing deeper, he detected shock, pain, but no darkness.

"I think he's fine," he told Darian as he dismounted.

His student nodded, and closed his eyes in concentration as he scanned the area. Meanwhile, Firesong, Silverfox, and the two dyheli started trying to remove Wintermoon from the trunk. With the four of them, it didn't take too long.

"A broken leg and arm, bruised ribs, and a very bad headache, but apart from that, I think he's all right. Nothing too serious," Silverfox whispered as he checked up the scout. Wintermoon stirred, his eyes flickering open for just a minute, before closing them again.

He's probably in quite some pain. Better be unconscious and ignorant, then.

"How long. . .abed." Wintermoon's voice was faint enough to be almost unheard for even Tayledras hearing.

"At least two weeks, with Healing. No more than three, certainly."

Wintermoon gave a barely perceptible nod and started drifting off into oblivion once more.

".the girl. . .attacked by. . .wyrsa. . .changechildren. . .blood ma. . ."

Just then, Darian opened his eyes and gave them news of his search.

"There's blood magic. A lot of it. I can't tell who the mage is or where it is; he's either too well shielded or he's beyond my range of Sight. The magic, however, can be traced to a certain someone," and now Darian looked a little worried, "the young girl we saw earlier. She probably was a victim of his. She is very obviously tainted."

"I'll see to her, see if I can rid her of the magic. Why do you help Silverfox with Wintermoon? His visit hasn't been a very good one, I can see."

Darian gave a faint smile and nodded, and Firesong remounted the dyheli and cantered off.

It didn't take long to get to the girl. Shanti was with her still, mouthing unspoken words probably to her companion. Keisha was there also, treating the girl's many wounds.

"I'm going to try to get rid of some blood magic in her," he told them as he dismounted, "it'll only take a few seconds."

Keisha glanced at him and nodded, giving way to the Tayledras adept. Firesong kneeled down beside the girl and laid a hand on her forehead, eyes closed in concentration.

The taint was very obvious, and finding it was quite easy. Purging it was the hard part.

Firesong struggled with the dark power for some time, pouring the pureness of his power into the girl.

Whoever that mage is, he's going to want this girl, or he'd never have concentrated so much power on her. Still, Firesong was a formidable mage, and the dark stain was soon gotten rid of.

Firesong opened his eyes again, blinking as a wave of exhaustion flowed through him, ignoring it.

"Done," he said, getting ready to let Keisha do her job once more.

Just then, the girl's eyes flickered open. Two raven black orbs cut through Firesong, and he sensed. . .recognition? Hate? Power beyond her years?

No, it couldn't be. Another look showed the girl looking so frail, so frightened.

"Where am I?" she whimpered, "Where is everyone?"

But as Keisha and Shanti started comforting her, fussing over her, Firesong could only think of that piercing glare, that split-second of hatred from the young, 'harmless', injured girl.


	3. Chapter 3

P.S. If you're wondering why I've started adding spaces after each paragraph, it's cuz I thought it looked really ugly and squashed up. Btw, Shadoemoonfire, is my review whatsits off? Cuz I cancelled something but I'm not quite sure what. ( Without my brother helping with the computer I'm hopeless.  
  
"So what are we going to do about her?" Starwind furrowed his eyebrows thoughtfully as he asked, "she probably needs healing, mentally more than physically. And I'm supposing her parents are dead."  
  
After gentle questioning, the girl had revealed some facts about. Her name, she had said, was Reena. Her mother and father she had last seen with the 'monsters', which, according to Wintermoon, were wyrsa summoned by a snake-like changechild. They were probably quite dead by now.  
  
"Well, we could always take her in. She seems harmless enough," Starwind continued.  
  
"Many less harmful have deceived the Ta-" Firesong cut in.  
  
"I know that. But this is K'Valdemar. There are. how many tayledras? We've hardly even gotten a proper vale!"  
  
"There always the node!" He shot back.  
  
"That's true," Darian cut in quickly, "but what can she hope to achieve? She may be powerful, yes, and she may find a way to overtake the vale, though unlikely. But after that, what can she do? We've got the tayledras not too far off, Errold's Grove is just next-door, the Ghost Cat Clan is neighboring us, and Valdemar quite ready to back us up. Wouldn't anyone who wanted to risk being caught and.disposed of have thought of that already?"  
  
That sent everyone into silence. The reasoning is sound, I guess, Firesong thought, but I think there's something else, something beneath the surface of this situation. Still, he knew that a gut-feeling, even from him, would not be enough to convince the rest.  
  
"And we can't just leave her elsewhere," Shanti added, "the Ghost Cat Clan will just frighten her, and Errold's Grove will look down on her strangeness, for all that they say they can adapt to anything."  
  
"She can stay with us," Keisha offered, glancing at Darian for an affirmative. It was given, "we've got room, and I'm a healer."  
  
"Done, and thank you," Starwind said, smiling slightly, "then I guess there isn't much of a problem, is there?" he added, giving Firesong a questioning glance.  
  
Firesong shook his head slightly. I don't think there's much of a point in arguing, he sighed, I'll just wait it out and hope for the best. And pray that she truly is as harmless as she seems.  
  
"So the dandy brush goes after the currycomb?" Reena asked Darian as she groomed Tyrsell.  
  
"Yes, but you have to brush him harder," Darian replied, demonstrating, "or his winter coat isn't going to come off."  
  
:She's brushing me fine,: came the sardonic reply, which sent Reena into a fit of giggles. Firesong observed this silently as he strolled past.  
  
She seems normal. Everyone else thinks she's normal. Except me. Maybe I'm wrong. She certainly isn't doing anything to hurt us. But still.I don't care what Silverfox and Keisha and Shanti and Darian think; it's not just preference, she's only giving real attention to the more important members of the vale. Starfall, Darian, Shanti.me. The rest receive mere politeness before she bounces gaily away. Even Tyrsell gets more notice than, say, Wintersky. But she isn't doing anything, and until she does, I can't do much but watch.  
  
He nervously ran a tongue over the scarred remains of his lips. Waiting for something bad to happen, knowing that it would, but being unable to stop it.  
  
No matter what Darian says, I know he's becoming attached to that girl. So is Starfall. So is everyone else.  
  
It was hard, he knew, to resist Reena's charm. Her smile was bright, cheery, and very, very addictive, her hugs even more so. She was the baby of the vale, and she knew it.  
  
And it was actually very easy to believe that maybe he was jumping to conclusions with this sweet, cheerful girl. Very easy.  
  
Until, of course, he caught another one of those cold, calculating gazes she shot at them from time to time. I haven't seen those more than twice, admittedly, but twice is quite enough, thank you.  
  
Not that anyone would believe him, of course. Silverfox had been very gracious about it, very thoughtful, but it was apparent that even he could not believe any suggestion that Reena just maybe could be more sinister that she looked.  
  
Everyone's being so, very stupid! I can't do this all by myself!  
  
Glaring at thin air, he lost sight of Reena for a few moments, until he saw Tyrsell trotting back to the herd without the young girl.  
Now where is she? He turned his head automatically in Darian's direction, but he was alone.  
  
She couldn't have gone far. Not so soon. So she's either invisible, or. Immediately his head turned to the direction of the forest. A small shadow slipped beneath the cover of the trees to the left of the woods. Firesong's lips turned upwards into a terrible imitation of a sardonic grin, not that anyone could see it beneath his black and blue mask.  
  
Now, little one, let's see just what you are up to. 


	4. Chapter 4

Note: I'm so sorry, I meant to type Arrowblade, not Shadowmoonfire! Btw I'm updating every other day if possible so don't bother to check all the time. Really busy with life. Also I've no clue how to put in dashes, italics and the three dot things, so if you see a full stop where there should be something else, I'm not that bad at English, don't worry, it's meant to be one of those.  
  
Why did she have to be so small, Firesong thought as he glared at the unkempt mess of branches and leaves he had last seen Reena next to. For the past ten minutes he had tried in vain to track down the girl, only to find out that mages could not even hope to do a scout's job.  
  
This is impossible! I could have sworn this was the bile of bracken she was next to! And why is she going to the forest anyway? Isn't it a bit frightening for an eight year old? Shaking his head in frustration, he glanced upwards for any help from the divine. Nothing but a quickly darkening sky.  
  
It's pointless. I might as well head back. I'm not going to get anything done in the dark, anyway. Growling inwardly, he turned on his heel and strode, or rather stomped, back to the vale.  
  
He didn't get very far before a blast of power flung his unshielded self into darkness.  
  
Firesong awoke in the middle of a dark green clearing, facedown and. . .  
  
I can't move my arm! I can't even roll over! Where's Silverfox? Where's the vale?  
  
Then all at once the memories flooded back: Reena, the forest, the unexpected bolt of power. . .  
  
I knew something was wrong! I knew that Reena wasn't just an innocent little girl! Why didn't I shield? I knew all this, I knew she was evil, and I didn't even think to put the most fundamental of shields up!  
  
He gave a desperate yank on his mental bonds, quite pointlessly. They held firm, firmer than just any mage could have created.  
  
"Awake, then?" A not-so-young, female voice drifted in haughtily from . . . somewhere nearby. At once, Firesong felt his coercion bonds loosen just enough for him to look upwards.  
  
And he immediately wished he hadn't.  
  
A middle aged woman, presumably a mage, sat in the middle of the clearing. Around her, dozens of wyrsa prowled around restlessly, and ten or so other mages were cross legged on the grass.  
  
None of them looked very friendly.  
  
I take it she's cast an illusion over herself, and we never even guessed. Not that we had any right to be able to guess that, with all of them shielding her.  
  
"Don't bother to speak," 'Reena' continued with a slight sneer on her face, "I don't think we're going to risk taking your bonds off just yet."  
  
I didn't think she would, unless she were insane, Firesong thought absently as hundreds and thousands of half formulated plots raced through his mind, even though she probably is, considering she's even thinking of taking over the vale. Like Darian said, there's not much hope for her doing just that.  
  
"It's a good thing we've got you here, too. I was beginning to think that maybe I wouldn't be able to succeed alone," Reena leaned forwards slightly, her tone turning into ice, "We need that vale, more than anything else. Think of what sort of ransom could be paid. The Tayledraes need you, Starfall, just about everyone. The Queen of Valdemar needs, of course, her herald, and would pay a hefty price for her. I hear that Valdemar needs all the heralds it can get."  
  
"And now that we can use you, it's going to be so much easier. You, at least, have more say than Reena in the council." The voice belonged to a young man, probably in his mid-twenties, with a hooked nose and slit eyes.  
  
Firesong started to reply, before remembering once again that he couldn't even move his lips.  
  
"No one will ever notice anything wrong about you. We, or rather, I, know everything about you," 'Reena' reached up to tap her head, "everything."  
  
She's looked into my mind! Damn her! But Silverfox will know. Silverfox knows me inside out. Silverfox has to know.  
  
"We know all your responses to every situation. Every single one. We've even taken control of your bondbird through you," 'Reena' gave a sadistic grin, "No one will find out. Not even Silverfox."  
  
Thank the goddess Silverfox and I aren't lifebonded. If they'd taken control over him, I wouldn't ever be able to forgive myself. But Aya. Poor Aya, I don't think he has any idea what is going on.  
  
"Just so you know, there's a council meeting this evening. Let's see if you can't talk some. sense into your former pupil."  
  
Firesong struggled desperately as he felt himself standing up.  
  
No! I can fight this! I have to fight this! I can't allow them to make me advise Darian; he always listens to me!  
  
Firesong frantically concentrated every bit of his power into the bonds, pouring his energy into breaking them. But his mind was blocked from any nodes; he only occupied a small part of it, able to see, smell, and hear, but not much else. Slowly, he felt himself losing the battle, felt himself start to stride out of the clearing towards the vale.  
  
"Give it up," 'Reena' smirked as she felt the internal struggled within the adept, "you can't compete with the twelve of us. And I'd hate to see you miss your meeting." 


	5. Chapter 5

Note: I hope this works.  I've no idea how to 'save as a webpage'.  Thanks Arrowblade and Shadoemoonfire for reviewing.  And sorry for not reviewing any of your works a lot cuz I'm really paranoid about computers (bit of a technophobe), and also quite useless with them (I just realized that the biography isn't a piece of junk-it shows up when you click the author's nameJ.  I've had to change mine a lot but I'm still proud of myself for actually noticing my mistake.).  But thanks for reviewing my stuff and if you have any criticism feel free to say so.  

            "So what do you think we should do about the Queen's proposal?" Darian asked the council in the middle of the meeting.  Queen Selenay had offered to house three other heralds in K'Valdemar for about two weeks, so that they could act as peacekeepers until they had to move on to some rural Valdemar territory that a clan had occupied and requested an alliance.  

            Firesong knew what Reena was thinking: Four heralds, Shanti included, were worth a lot more than one.  And especially since the Queen's Own, Talia, was one of those coming to act as a diplomat.  _Why can't Selenay have sent someone else, _he thought despairingly, _why did she **have** to send both a Queen's Own **and** a Karsite priestess? Talia is arguably the most important herald.  She's a Karsite priestess, a diplomat, an empath…  There is hardly anything the Queen won't do to get her back._

            "Accept it, of course.  Now that there's a festival going around in Errold's Grove, we're going to have to watch out for those barbarians wandering around, drunk.  It will be so much more convenient letting them take over the job." Firesong felt his mouth uttering the words involuntarily, but had learned sometime during the earlier part of the meeting that it was quite useless to do anything but blast at his mental shield every other minute. 

            _Just wait.  Give them time to make a mistake.  They will.  They have to.  And when they do…_ the Firesong locked deep in the back of his mind growled with the pure, perilous rage that had consumed him at the start of the Mage Storms, _when they do…_

            Granted, they were taking three people shifts, and had things as organized as anyone could have wished.  But anyone could have a slip in routine, and it only took one of them… 

            _Just please let it be soon, please let it be before the heralds come._

            He knew that if he were still held prisoner by the time the heralds came, it would all be over for K'Valdemar and the heralds.  Twelve master-class mages and dozens of wyrsa against the small clan of K'Valdemar would be an even match, with K'Valdemar having three mages less, but Firesong by their side.  But with him being controlled…

            They have access to my abilities. They can **make **me use my own magic against anyone they care to choose.  And if they turn me against my own kin… 

            The Vale wouldn't be able to stand a chance.  The wyrsa were, he had found out, magically adapted to be not only swifter and more agile, but also given some layers of built in armor, enough to protect the creatures from glancing sword bows and long ranged arrows.  They were numerous and powerful enough to take on the scouts and heralds, or at least distract them until the more important K'Valdemar mages were under enemy control, and the less important… neutralized in every sense of the word.  And Firesong himself could take on Darian, Starfall, and Snowfire, and still come out of it alive.

            _And if I were an addition to this group of mages, the clan would definitely be taken over by three candlemarks.  Even with the heralds fighting alongside K'Valdemar._

            Deep in thought, Firesong calmed down enough to stop continually slamming at his barriers.  In fact, he completely missed the other comments by the Ghost Cat Clan diplomats, the Errold's Grove council members, and just about every one else until Silverfox cut in with his concerns.

            "What about Reena? Firesong, didn't you have several suspicions about any motives she might have beneath all her charm and innocence? If she does, the heralds would not be such a good idea.  Three more heralds give our vale a lot more weight than before.  If she wanted to attack, she would want it so that she had some very important people who mattered enough for their rulers to be willing to give a lot to have them back.  Talia is one of the heralds Selenay wouldn't mind trading almost anything for."

            Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Snowfire opening his mouth to voice a retort.  Darian leaned forwards slightly in attention, and Starfall raised an eyebrow in very obvious interest.

            _Now.  I have to act **now**.  _

            Probing carefully at his barriers, he further stilled the overwhelming urge to ram at his walls.  After a few moments, he sensed a relaxation, just a hint of relaxation, from two of his captors.  Firesong gave a little, grim, mental smile.  

            _Here we go._

            "Reena? Oh, she's just as helpless as she seems to be.  I can't actually believe I really thought she wa-"

            _NOW!_

            He threw all his power at the shields, striking at his mental prison with the strength only the most desperate could find.

            _This has to work.  Please let it work._

            He found a small weakness in the walls and battered it with all his potent might.  He felt it give way slightly, then more, more, and more.  It turned quickly into an opening, a tiny opening that was quickly being forced close.

            _Hurry.  There's no time._

            Cutting off the sentence, he placed the most despairing, the most terrified expression he could on his face, or rather, his eyes, facing Silverfox and Darian pleadingly.

            _Help.  Please, help.  Find out, figure out, **sense** that there's something wrong._

            He opened his mouth to speak, to even cry out.

            "-s a danger.  She's actually such a sweet little thing."

            Starfall's eyebrow remained cocked, Snowfire closed his mouth on his retort, but it was Darian that Firesong was looking out for.  Darian and Silverfox.

            Darian looked at him strangely for a while, but then shook his head slightly to himself.  Silverfox's expression was quite unreadable, even to his lover.  He had his professional, neutral mask on, and no emotions leaked out to anyone at all.  He certainly gave no sign of seeing anything out of the ordinary.

            _No! _Firesong slammed at his barriers in anguish, _NO!_ He rammed the walls around him again, but they held firm, strengthened more than just three mages could generate.

            _Fantastic.  They've assigned another one to me, _he thought, despair mixing with rage until neither could be told apart.  

            "I see," Starfall said dubiously, eyeing his son with uncertainty,  "I'm glad you think she's so…sweet."

            Darian was silent for a while, but soon announced his decision.

            "Very well, then.  No one seems to have very many objections to any new visitors.  I will inform the queen immediately," he fixed his gaze on all the council members, one by one.  His eyes rested a heartbeat longer on Firesong before he moved on, "the heralds should be coming in about three months."


	6. Chapter 6

Note: By the way, have you guys (2 right now) ever noticed that there aren't any ugly _kestra'chern_ around? I mean, Silverfox was handsome and Amberdrake was also good-looking.  Wonder why…

Darian found Silverfox staring pensively at one of the more secluded hot pools, sitting cross-legged on the ground just before the water's edge.

He looks almost as worried as I am.  Well, I suppose that means I do have a bit of a right to hold my suspicions.  

"Silverfox?" he called out quietly, "Can I have a word with you?"

The Kaled'a'in _kestra'chern _started, spinning around to face Darian with a very un-Sliverfox, unprofessional expression of stunned frazzled ness.  He quickly pasted on his mask of sereneness, but not before Darian noticed.

He seems really stressed.  Of course, he would be if Firesong were acting…strangely.  I know I would be if something were wrong with Keisha.  

"Darian," Silverfox acknowledged, "of course.  Come.  Sit.  I take great interest in the workings of hot pools.  Water is such a peaceful force.  You can drop a pebble, or a boulder, in it, and great ripples of disturbance would come and become greater and greater.  But then time will pass and there will be no sign of any interruption whatsoever, and the water will go on flowing tranquilly."

 Darian hid a grin.  

You can always tell when Silverfox is recovering from shock.  "____ is such a great force of nature to study.  See how it_________.  Learn from it and prosper from the learning…" and all that other bits of nonsense he can think of on the spot.

"I know.  Listen, I wanted to ask you about Firesong."

Silverfox looked as wary as Silverfox could get, which, granted, was not very, and set his gaze on the hotpool once again.

"What about Firesong? Is he not with you and Reena?"

"I haven't seen too much of him.  That's what I wanted to ask you about.  He used to almost hibernate in his _ekele_.  Now he's never there_._  Have you noticed anything?"

"As a matter of fact, I _do_ live in the very same _ekele_.  I _would_ probably have noticed if he were not there very often."

I can tell he's stressed.  Silverfox saying that? I haven't actually heard anything bitingly sarcastic from him before.

"Of course," he amended quickly, "I didn't mean that.  I mean I did, just not that way.  I mean…well, you know."

Silverfox cocked an eyebrow.

"That maybe he's maybe having a few problems?"

"No, not that! Have you _ever_ heard Firesong even mention the word 'sweet'? How did he change his mind about Reena so abruptly? Why won't he even _answer_ me in mindspeech anymore?"

Silverfox glanced at Darian quickly, uncertainty playing out in tiny threads across his face.  

"Look, I'm worried.  I think something's wrong.  Firesong was my mentor and is my friend, and I would think I'd know if something were amiss.  Keisha and Starfall and Tyrsell haven't noticed anything at all.  If you don't either, I'm probably going to just drop my doubts," Darian said bluntly, giving up altogether on diplomacy.

Silverfox nodded once, slowly, subtly, raven strands sweeping off his arc of jet-black, silver-streaked, hair and falling across his face.  Chewing on his lip, probably a habit learned from Firesong, he finally rested dark, apprehensive eyes on Darian.

"And if I say that there might be something wrong?"

"Then I'll do something about it."

Silverfox gave another, almost imperceptible nod, and dropped his voice until it was barely louder than a whisper, eyes clouding with helplessness.

"He's…strange.  I hardly see him, and when I do, he seems intent on avoiding me.  When we speak, he will only talk about politics, and he gets wary when I go off that topic.  Aya is acting fine, though.  He hasn't burned anything at all.  But still…sometimes I wonder if he really is Firesong.  I know it can't be anyone else, but did you notice in the council-"

"When he stopped in mid-sentence-"

"And just looked at me-"

"Us," Darian corrected, "and his gaze was so…"

"Helpless, desperate, despairing.  Granted, it only lasted for a few split-seconds, but those few split-seconds were enough."

"You think that his mind is overpowered? That he had escaped long enough to try to leave us a message?"

"Well, he nearly fell off his _ekele_ the other day."

"You're right," Darian nodded, "It isn't him.  I'm going to find out."

"No, you're not," Silverfox said firmly, "If Firesong could be overpowered, you'd be less than a match for whoever overpowered him."

They fell into a deep discussion, not even noticing the candlemarks that flew by until darkness conquered the daylight enough for them to decide to go back.

Meanwhile, in the gloom of the darkening forest, Firesong found himself unable to move on the forest's bed as his captors were having a heated discussion about him.

"Just keep him under control for a few more days," Reena said coolly, "the heralds will have arrived by then, and after using his mage abilities, he can dispose of him."

"He's a nightmare to keep under control," a squat woman called Tara hissed, "He nearly made himself _fall out of his ekele_ this other day.  In front of Silverfox!"

"And remember the council meeting!"

"And the talks with Darian!"

"We're tired of containing him! It's wearing us out more than him!"

"ENOUGH!" Reena yelled, eyes flashing, "We need him! Do you get me? We. Need. Him.  It doesn't matter how much he fights, we need his power, we need his respect in K'Treva, and we need his voice in the council! Like it or not, we're going to keep him until the heralds come!"

Growls and mutters came from the others, and a few pointed glares at Firesong.

_At least I'm annoying them, _Firesong thought numbly,_ at least I can say that I tried…_

"Now," Reena continued harshly, "can we continue? Darian is getting on my nerves.  I have a feeling that he suspects something.  Silverfox is fine, he's just wounded by the fact that he's 'done something wrong to make his lover ignore him'."

At this, snickers echoed through the circle of mages.  Firesong felt an uncontrollable rage welling up again, and he lashed out at his barriers in a haze of red.

"Stop him!" Reena yelled.

"He's.  Doing.  It.  Again," another mage grunted as he shook with the effort of holding the shield, together with the five others it now took to hold it together.

"It's six against one! Can you not at least control him?"

"Why don't you join in?" Tara snapped, "Every single stupid time Silverfox's name is mentioned he's nearly unstoppable!"

They finally managed to curb his power, leaving Firesong slamming relentlessly on the walls, but with less force.

"Anyway," Reena said, "Darian is a problem.  He knows something is wrong with Firesong.  I don't know how, but he knows.  And he might call the heralds off if his suspicions strengthen much more."

"So what do we do?" 

Reena grinned, a grin that never quite reached the cold remorselessness of her ice-blue eyes.

"We let him come.  He will try to investigate.  And then, when he arrives here, we will take him over."

"But we don't have enough to hold them both!"

Reena shrugged callously.

"Wait until we have him.  Then kill the bird." 


	7. Chapter 7

Note: I'm trying to follow the constructive criticism.  Let's see how this goes…  

P.S.  (to Arrowblade) Personally, I prefer Silverfox.  His picture in Winds of Change is something else.

P.P.S. (to all) I'm really sorry about hectic pacing, but I'm a lazy brat who loves the more important parts and sort of ignores the restJ.  I'll try correcting it though.

            Darian paced rapidly inside the walls of his _ekele_, a hand running through silvered hair in a habitual motion.

            _What should I do? The heralds are arriving tomorrow, and Silverfox is right: they're going to be in danger.  But I can't call them off just because of a suspicion.  Besides, what would Firesong's captors do if I did just that? They'd probably guess that I'd sensed something wrong with Firesong.  Then at best they'd blank out Firesong's memory, his knowledge of magic included, and take Reena and go.  And at worst…_

            He knew that it took so much less power to kill than to memory wipe.  

            _But Talia's coming.  Talia, the one herald that the Queen can't afford to lose! If she were to be killed, I don't think Selenay would be able to handle it.  I should at least **warn** them.  _

            But he also feared that enemy might figure things out.  It was possible that one of the heralds contact Shandi through Karles, and she pass the word on to everyone else.  Granted, it was not that likely, but Darian didn't want to take a chance.

            This is impossible.  Do I want to put at risk one of the most important heralds, or one of the most important tayledras? I know that the enemy would want both, and I know that I'm just going to be throwing them at him if I don't to anything.  But what can I do? 

            "Darian? Are you all right?" Darian glanced toward the doorway to see Keisha staring at him with worry plastered on her face.

            "Huh? Oh, yes, of course," he replied distractedly, "it's just…"

            Should I tell her? Will she have any advice? Should I risk it?

            "…it's just the preparations for the heralds' arrivals.  The hertasi don't quite know what to do."

            Keisha gave a slight smile of relief.

            "It's just like the hertasi to want more than the best.  They'll figure it out."

            "I hope so," said Darian, feeling a touch of guilt for lying to her.

            Keisha smiled reassuringly.

            "Don't worry, they will.  Listen, I've got to go to Errold's Grove for a while.  Shandi wants me to come with her to the marketplace."

            "She does? What does she want to get there?"

            "Dyes," Keisha replied, "and a lot of thread.  I've a feeling that she's trying to teach Steelmind embroidery."

            Darian managed a laugh, and Keisha joined after a moment, eyes sparkling with impish evil.

            "She was actually wondering if you'd be willing to learn."

            "What?" 

            "Don't worry.  I talked her out of it.  You're safe… for now."

            "Thank you," he grinned, the first real smile he'd had for some time now, " so I guess I'll see you in…a day?"

            "Half a day.  Shandi wants to help with the preparations.  And come to think of it, I do too."

            "Half a day, then," he said, "just don't be any longer than you have to."

            Keisha smiled and gave him a quick hug before she headed out of the ekele to a waiting dyheli stag.

            "I won't, don't worry."

            Darian watched her as she rode off towards Shandi and Steelmind's ekele, his smile disintegrating as soon as she was out of sight.

            Little does she know, he sighed, little does anyone know.

            He ground his teeth in uncertainty, torn between his two choices.  

How do I choose? It's either the Queen's best friend, or mine.  How can I choose Talia? How can I not? 

Candlemarks crawled by as he pondered the problem.  Finally, however, he settled on an answer.

            "We will wait.  What should come will come, and we shall brave it off."

________________________

            Silverfox was reclined on a lightly cushioned sofa in his ekele, as he had been from the early afternoon to the mid-evening it was now.

            If I weren't a kestra'chern, I'd drink.  Unfortunately, I am, and I know what too much alcohol can do to anyone.  He sighed, a soft, whispery sound that blended with the wind so completely that it almost wasn't there.  Then again, if I weren't a kestra'chern, I'd have confronted Firesong by now.  And the ending to **that** I wouldn't want to know.

            He did, of course, take comfort in the fact that Firesong wasn't, well, Firesong.  He was absolutely certain of it, more certain than he let even Darian know.  Certain enough to pretend that everything was normal, that he was devastated by his lover's rejection.  Certain enough to know that for Firesong's sake he must remain that way.

            And certain enough to know that I have to give him hope somehow, that I have to keep him from giving up.

            And so here he was, to onlookers deeply immersed in a novel, in truth flipping back to the same page every other minute.

            He should be coming about now.  I hope he comes.

            He came.

            "Silverfox," 'Firesong' acknowledged as he walked in, "What a pleasant surprise."

            Silverfox bit his lower lip, quite on purpose, acting as the unknowing, bewildered lover who couldn't quite understand why Firesong was so emotionless around him.

            "Firesong.  Um, hi.  I was just reading.  My favorite poem, actually."

            "Really?" 'Firesong' stated, politely moving closer to have a look.

            "Ye- yes, really," Silverfox managed just a hint, for no more could be expected from a kestra'chern, of a stutter, "would you like to read it?"

            The poem was from a book about the life story of Vanyel, just before he attacked his last enemy, Leareth.  Firesong, he knew, had never read it, and so his captors probably would not suspect much.  Or if they did, they probably wouldn't take it too seriously, or discard the suspicion as some vain little hope he still held on to.

Darkness surrounds me

Bitter, smothering

Engulfing me in its power

Terrible, terrifying

Inescapable 

I have tried

Through the horror 

Through the hopelessness 

I have tried

Yet I am still here

Alone

Where is everyone?

Where is help?

What can I do?

My enemy laughs

Haunting, spiteful

Dark orbs lock onto mine

They burn

They whisper

"What can you do?

What can you do against this evil

What can you do against me?

Hope

It is a fickle thing

It will fade

It is fading…"

And it is

I feel it leaving

Abandoning me

To this terror

To this nightmare

But no

I must hold on to it

Hold on to hope

Hold on to faith

Hold on to the ray of light 

Beyond the mouth of darkness

The first light of sun

Beyond the shadow of 

Never-ending night

I will keep my hope

I will keep my faith

I can fight this

I will

I will

            "How…touching," Firesong smirked, "Well, I shall leave you to your book.  I'm afraid that Reena is expecting me."  And with that, he strode towards the exit of the ekele, as hurriedly as possible without running.

            Silverfox gazed after his retreating figure.

            "Hold on to your hope, ke'chara.  Everything will come together, in the end."

___________________

Locked in his little corner of his mind, Firesong had stopped his continual pounding to 'sit', deep in thought, in his tiny space.

The heralds are coming tomorrow.  I have to save what strength I have.  It doesn't matter how many there are against me.  I can fight them.  I shall.  I will hold on to my hope, and my faith.  For the vale.  For Silverfox.

"This is uncanny.  He hasn't done anything.  He hasn't even tested us yet.  In the ekele, he threatened to overthrow out power again, and now he isn't even hammering on the shield," Tara muttered under her breath.

"Maybe he's given up," a portly master mage, Forin, suggested hopefully.

"He hasn't," Reena replied, "Of course he hasn't.  The heralds are coming.  He's saving his energy until then."

She turned on her heel and strode away, glancing back just one more time.

"Be on guard.  You know what he can do.  What he will do."

Well, I'm doing nothing for now.  Wait till tomorrow and you'll see what I can do.  And if anyone attacks Silverfox… he growled, a low, menacing snarl.  If **anyone** attacks Silverfox…

"He's going to be absolute hell to control tomorrow.  You do know that, don't you?" Inkar, a tall, long-haired brunette, said nervously.

"Absolute hell," Yahin, a bulldog faced man agreed.

"Silence!" Tara snapped impatiently, "By tomorrow all this will be over and he will be dead.  It'll be all twelve of us against him.  What chance will he have?"

The other five looked unconvinced.

"Just do your job.  Tomorrow, we'll be as rich as the Queen herself.  Right now, just concentrate on keeping him contained.  He doesn't stand a chance.  They all don't stand a chance," Tara strolled up to Firesong's prone body and continued to Firesong, voice laden with malice, "And I'll greatly enjoy watching you die."


	8. Chapter 8

Note: I'm so sorry I took so long to write a new chapter.  Thanks for all the info on computersJ.  I needed that.  Also, school's started so I've got only a little free time after homework and sports and stuff.  By the way, I'll get into more detail about the dark herald (you'll see what I mean) in my next story.  A hint: he's neither good nor evil, and that story's gonna be really sad.  So anyhow, thanks for reviewing, and please be patient.  

*Sultar: Winged feet in elvish

It was late at night, and K'Valdemar was abuzz with excited anticipation: the heralds were coming in a less than a candlemark.  A certain nervousness had infected the whole vale, the hertasi driving themselves to a happy death of exhaustion, the human vale members pacing themselves just a bit better, but not much.  Darian watched all the activity up in his ekele, nerves strung quite as tightly as they could possibly be.  

Everything is as ready as it can ever be.  Silverfox's made sure that the weapons are where they can easily be found: on the walls as furniture.  I've got the heartstone shielded as much as I can afford.  There isn't any alcohol strong enough to get anyone drunk.  Just before the heralds arrive, I'll mindspeak everyone but Firesong and Reena, and tell them just to prepare for combat.  Karles can probably inform Rolan so the heralds can arrive ready, or turn back.  Of course, if they turn back, I don't think Reena and her friends will do anything, and everyone will think I'm insane.  Then, of course, the enemy will be after me and will probably set up a very 'convenient' death for Firesong.  And **then** it'll all be over.

Still, he knew, he chose to take a gamble, and he had to stick with the plan.

If only I could be sure… Good ending or bad, I don't care, but I want to know the outcome.  I want to know whether the vale will survive or fall to ruin.  I want to know if I would be the cause.

Expedience was something a ruler had to be familiar with, he knew, but with Firesong? How could he able to let the cost be Firesong? 

I can't.  I'm a fool.  I'm not fit to be a leader.  

I'm too human.

Darian shook his head violently to clear away the unwelcome thoughts.  This was the time to be full of confidence, to be able to lead the vale through this growing disaster with the assertion necessary to assure his people that they could, and would, overcome it.

This is **not** the time to relive my doubts when I have over and over again.

He checked for the time.  Less than a tenth of a candlemark.  

I'd better get down, then.  

It's show time.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­____________________________________________________

            All the human vale members gathered around the entrance to K'Valdemar.  Most of the hertasi, of course, were much too shy, and the dyheli didn't care too much.  The Tayleras and heralds, however, crowded inside the weapon decorated hall to await the heralds.

            :They've got half a mile to go,: Shandi reported, :With companions, it won't take very long.  But Rolan says to get ready for a…surprise.: 

            Surprise? We haven't exactly got the time for any mores surprises than what I'm going to spring on them right now.

            Quickly, he flung all vale members, hertasi and dyheli included, except Reena into a mindspoken conversation.  Firesong, not very surprisingly, wasn't present.  Most of the vale was too excited to care.

            :Everyone, listen.  Do **not** attempt any conversation, mindspoken or not, with Reena or Firesong until I've finished explaining.  Act normal, and please do **not** swing your heads around to look at me.: 

            The last sentence was completely pointless.  Half the vale stared at Darian in surprise.  Reena, fortunately, was too preoccupied to notice anything.

            :Firesong was right; Reena wasn't the innocent we thought she was.  Unfortunately, she and her fellow conspirators have captured Firesong, or rather, captured his mind.  So when the heralds come, if the heralds do decide to come after Shandi informs them of this, they will, I'm expecting, attack.  There are weapons on the walls as decoration.  I've a feeling that there might be wyrsa, and a pretty lot of mages, and, of course, Firesong.: 

            Snowfire was the first to argue.

            :Little brother, are you sure? Reena? Evil? Definitely not.  And I haven't exactly seen much of a change in Firesong.:

            :I'm certain.  Siverfox and I both noticed something.  But even if you can't believe me, at least prepare.:

            :Why didn't you tell us of this earlier?: Shandi asked suspiciously.

            And this is where I get minus two thousand points for leadership.

            :I…I didn't want to risk Firesong,: he mindspoke reluctantly, :I couldn't bring myself to put him in any more danger than he already was – is – in.:

            To his surprise, there was only understanding flowing in Shandi's mind.

            :Yes…of course.  Karles will contact Rolan immediately.  I'm sure that they'll come anyway.:

            She was right.  Talia insisted on helping, and introduced her two fellow heralds as powerful fighters.

            :One's a heraldmage Adept,: she mindspoke to the all of them, :And the other is…quite special.:

The rest of the vale was inching unobtrusively towards the weapons.  Darian was quite surprised, if not thankful, at their relatively calm reactions, but he didn't exactly have the time to think about that.

            I hope that 'special' means good for battle, because we need all the firepower we can get.  One heraldmage.  That brings our mage tally up to…Starfall, Snowfire, Kel, Ravenwing, the herald, and I.  Three Adepts and three mages against Reena, her allies, and Firesong.  Not quite enough for comfort.

            But it was too late for any second chances.  The time for that had passed a long time ago.  Hoof beats sounded clearly against the crackle of autumn leaves.  The heralds were coming.  Reena closed her eyes in concentration for a moment, then gave a slight grin and slid out of the crowds into the forest.  

            There's no going back.

            The heralds pounded into view, Talia in the lead.  Her companion glowed in shining brilliance against the night's sky.  The companion behind her did the same, it's – her – herald's bright blue eyes showing him to be a mage.  The third…

            :Shandi! Aren't there supposed to be three?: 

            : There are.  Karles says to look closer.: Her mindspeech was tinged with uncertainty. 

            Darian strained his eyes against the darkness, and caught a slight shadow in the night's darkness.  But…

            :Aren't companions supposed to be **white**?:

            :I thought so.  And look at his eyes.:

            Yes, his eyes.  The only thing visible of the companion and his rider was a pair of blood red eyes, which flared with a dark tinge of black.  A black that was darker than the moonless night that swept the whole vale in shadows.

            :Isn't he…evil?: Darian asked uncertainly.

            :I'm not sure what he is.  Apparently, he and his herald took lessons in an isolated area, with a mentor.  Karles says that he's seen him in the Collegium a couple of times, but not for long.  But rumor's spread like wildfire about the companion, said to be named *Sultar.  They believe that even though he works with nodes, his very being is so powerful that hardly anything can change his color.  They also say that he's a dark companion: not created for goodness, but rather made for one purpose only: to fight.  Of course, those are just rumors-:

            :And if they help our chances, I certainly won't care if he was all purity or not,: he then let his mindspeech encompass the entire vale save Reena, :Ready yourselves.  They'll be coming soon.:

            Rolan came to a halt, sapphire eyes flitting around the outskirts of K'Valdemar.  The vale lights reached all three heralds, and Darian got his first real glimpse of Sultar.

            The companion was built unlike any other companion.  His ears were large, extraordinarily large, for his undersized, slight head.  His jaws were huge, and his teeth so long and pointed that a bit would be quite impossible to put on, and Darian wondered absently how he managed to chew his food.  His neck was ewed and rather short, and his body emaciated; stomach, back, and hindquarters built like a cheetah.  Incredibly long, seemingly delicate legs led down to wickedly sharp hooves, the end pointed and up turned.  And there was no sign of compassion in his eyes.  Intelligence, yes; cunning and wit also, but they showed no emotion, be it happiness, or anger, or even a slight nervousness.  Nothing.  Only a cool, chilling passivity, a certain remorselessness.  

            Darian shivered despite a sweeping breeze, averting his gaze from Sultar's.  

            There's no time for this.  He's come to help, and that is what I asked for.  And he certainly looks efficient.

            Efficient wasn't quite the right word.  'Killing machine' seemed more apt for the companion. 

            Darian shook his head to clear off unwanted thoughts, glancing at the forests.  All of the Vale had noticed Reena's sudden absence; the weapons were off the wall and made use of.  Some distance away, a shrill whistle pierced the night's silent air.  

            The wyrsa.  

            They flitted through the forest shadows into view, a blurry cloud of darkness as they surged towards the vale. 

            About three-dozen.  And they seem to have been specially adapted.  We can take them on, I think.

            But then the first bombshell dropped

            :Darian?: Wintersky mindspoke worriedly.

            :What?:

            :Where are the mages?:

            The mages…? 

            :Damn! I knew something was wrong!:

            Darian gazed around the vale to see throngs of wyrsa and humans struggling against each other.  The dyheli and companions had also joined in, and the wyrsa were slowly failing, their numbers dwindling.  

            But where are the mages? Where is Firesong?

            He focused a levin bolt at wyrsa charging at an already occupied Snowfire, and felt its surprise as it crumpled to the ground, motionless.  He shot off another, and another, dimly aware that none had even tried attacking him.

            No time to worry about that now.  Just keep picking off the creatures, maybe by the time the mages arrive, we won't have an extra distraction to deal with.

            Out of the three dozen that had charged in, only about half remained.  Of course, the vale suffered its casualties as well.  Three dyheli does and five bucks had fallen victim to the wyrsa.  Wintersky was on the ground, his owl screeching its hopeless fury at the world.  Ironblade and Redwind had both bled to death, and their bodies lay, trampled over countless of times, on the earth.  

            Eighteen of them to eleven of us, Darian thought as he sent a pair of wyrsa into flames, not bad.  I just hope it'll be enough.

            It seemed so.  The wyrsa were vicious, cunning, and very swift, but mage bolts took them completely by surprise.  In fact, mages had picked off just as many wyrsa as the non-mages put together.

            I just hope our luck holds.  

            Just then, a flaming ball of fire flung hurtled towards the heraldmage.  His companion reared in shock, hooves thrashing the air, as the herald flung up a hasty shield.  They fell to the ground together, the herald scorched, but not badly, and greatly shaken.

            A dark figure dislodged itself from the forests' cover.

            It was Firesong.  Firesong with twelve – twelve – mages behind him, eyes slit beneath a dark mask.  He turned to lock a ruthless gaze with Darian, and smiled, a malicious grin that might as well have been a snarl.

            "Good evening.  Expecting me?"


	9. Chapter9

Note: I was just about to give up the story but my l. sister stopped me.  I think she wants to know whether I'll kill off Firesong or not.  Giving me lots of advice w/ what to do w/ Silverfox.  Anyhow, this is the 2nd last / 3rd last chapter, thank god: I'm so amazingly busy these days, I really have hardly enough strength to get enough inspiration for anything.  Hehe sorry, bad day with my horse (tried to throw me and I've got a competition coming up) so I'm in a crappy mood.  Tomorrow I'll look back at this and say, "I'm such a whiner." I'll probably start the dark herald story in my next school break.

P.S.  Thanks so much for the reviews.  

            Arrowblade, you and my l. sister are probably the only reasons I've written this much.  My other 1000 starts are in the trash.

            Mysticmoods, thanks, I was just talking to my l. sis about quitting when I saw your and arrowblade's reviews : ).  

P.P.S. I WORKED A SCANNER!!!!!!!!!! Oh yah, go me! It's Sultar and Aran (the heraldmage's companion) For sultar the 2nd one's the real thing, the 1st is just my toying around with the idea during a particularly boring class.  I'm so proud of myself.  I'm gonna tell all of my friends that after 4 years worth of attempts, I managed a piece of technology all by myself.  *very contented.

P.P.P.S. By the way, I'm probably changing Sultar's (the dark companion's) name.  Wingfoot doesn't sound… dark enough.  Can you help me choose from

                                    a) Din Faroth (silent hunter)

                                    b) Fuin Thorondil (black hawk)

                                    c) Mordel (dark horror)

                                    d) Daemor (same as above)

                                    e) Fuingol (black terror)

Thanks so much.  I can't decide on one.  As you can see, I'm a huge tolkein fan even though I don't know whether I spelled his name right.  

            As if in slow motion, Silverfox saw a wyrsa launch itself at Wintersky, who was already desperately fighting off two of the creatures.  Snarling, spitting in rage, it collided bodily with the Tayledras.  Silverfox could only stare as the young scout's mouth flew open in surprise, and as the two other wyrsa leaped at the falling body.

            "Wintersky!" He found himself screaming desperately, "Wintersky!"

            There was an initial shriek, then… nothing.  Silverfox gazed in horror as Wintersky disappeared beneath the three monsters.  Ignoring Keisha's frantic shouts, he grabbed his sword and rushed to the scout.  

            _What am I doing? I can't take on wyrsa! I'm practically useless with the blade!_

            But it didn't matter, not here, not now.  The only thing that mattered to his chaos-riddled mind was getting to Wintersky. 

            As he swore incoherently while racing towards the fallen Tayledras, a faraway thought deep inside a long-ignored part of his mind screamed out the usual Silverfox reasoning, the usual rational logic.  Not that, of course, it was even partially heeded as he stumbled and sprinted, cursed and shoved his way to the scout.

            Of course, as what usually happens, it was exactly when he reached the three wyrsa and managed to catch their attention that the realistic part of him hit.

            _I'm no match for **three** wyrsa! I've never even wielded a sword! I'm not going to save Wintersky; I'm going to die more stupidly than any other kestra'chern in history! What am I **doing** here?_

            He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood as the wyrsa circled him, but stood his ground.  If he were to die, he might as well die like one of those foolish, irrational heroes that ballads always revolved around.  

            _It'll be a change, at least.  _

            A wyrsa gave a low, guttural snarl as it crept warily forwards, body lowered onto bent haunches as it sidled nearer.  The other two stayed back, tense in anticipation.  Silverfox immediately realized the situation.

            _It wants me to charge at it, so its companions can get at me easily.  Quite stupid of them; I'm not even good enough with the blade to even hope to challenge one._

            Still, he readied himself as the wyrsa moved closer, and closer, and-

            With a shrill, whistling shriek, it launched itself at the kestra'chern.

            _Move, damn it!_

            Instinct controlled his body enough for him to fling himself away from the snapping jaws.  Rolling, he leaped to his feet and raised his blade yet again.  

            The wyrsa snarled as it slunk nearer again, and this time its companions joined it.  Slowly, steadily, they closed the gap between them and Silverfox.

            _I can't believe that my fate has been decided so, annoyingly,… decisively._

            Still, he let no fear show as the wyrsa prepared for their attack, and then-

            -**black!**-

            He once again dived away as a dark form raced between him and the wyrsa.  A dark form that was more aptly described as a black blur of lethal hooves and flying cape.

            It was the dark herald.

            Silverfox gazed in awe as the black companion, with the cold, blood red eyes, speared a wyrsa through its neck with a deadly hoof.  The herald, an unknown figure clocked in black, held an ebony, two-sided spear as he (she?) assailed the remaining two with the deftly handled haze of shadowed spearheads.  The herald got one, and gave it a merciful death of a slit neck.  The companion got the other with its piercing, remorseless hooves.  Hooves that could easily disembowel any of the creatures.  Hooves that did just that.

            Very messy business, those hooves.  Silverfox found himself almost flinching at the aftermath.

            Then the companion spun around to face the _ketra'chern_, and Silverfox had to force himself to not evade the gaze he was given.  The flaming, emotionless eyes burned through Silverfox with an intensity that dizzied him.  It seemed to give a slight, mocking smile, a click of elongated incisors, before it turned away.  Silverfox looked up to see the herald also watching him closely, and gave a split-second to look closer at his/her face.

            He gave an unheard gasp.

            There was nothing in her – as he found out – face.  Absolutely nothing.  No feeling, not even the hidden emotions he was trained so expertly to catch.  

            _She's… a void.  A complete void.  She's completely blank.  She thinks, and she understands situations, but I can't see any memories, any glimpse of…humanity in her._

            The herald glanced away as her companion charged off yet again, and Silverfox turned to try to negotiate his way back towards safety, back towards his little healing place with Keisha.  He soon found out that going back was much harder than coming out.

            Ducking, dodging, and wildly slashing his way through the mass of Tayledras and Heralds and wyrsa, he desperately tried to find his way out of the fighting.  

            _This.  Is.  Impossible! I'm not going to help anyone if I die this way!_

            He glanced around wildly for any gaps from the throng of clashing sides.  None.  He was completely blocked in.

            And it was then, as he was scanning the now bloodied grounds, that he caught sight of Firesong.

            Firesong, who had just blasted the heraldmage off of his companion, and who was preparing to finish him off.

            "Firesong! FIRESONG!"

            The adept swerved around and caught sight of Silverfox.  And held eye contact for just a split second.

            And for that split-second, Silverfox could see, so very clearly, the real Firesong struggling frantically to get free.  Fighting harder, and harder, and harder.  He saw the real Firesong stare out at him for just a fraction of time.  And then, nothing.  The mage started to turn back to the herald.

            "**NO!**"

            Just then, Silverfox felt a massive weight crash down on him.  He was dimly aware of flashing fangs and animal eyes as he started falling, falling…

__________________________________________

            Firesong stared, horrified, in the small corner of his mind, as his body blasted the heraldmage and his companion to the ground.

            _NO!_

            Frantically, he battered at the shields around him, battered with all his desperate power.  The twelve mages held firm, held more than firm.  They readied another blast of power, to cripple the heraldmage enough for him not to be a threat.

            "…Firesong!" He felt the mages start in surprise, felt them turn to face to source of the sound.  

            Silverfox.  

            His shields strengthened in anticipation, but he was beyond caring.  Sobbing in frustration, he flung power heedlessly at his barrier, feeling them weakening and weakening.  

            But not enough.  Energy spent, he shook in exhaustion as his captors turned to face the heraldmage once more.

            But saw, out of the corner of his eye, his lover disappearing under the massive body of a wyrsa.

            _NO! SILVERFOX!_

            He flung his very being at the fortified walls in despair.

"SILVERFOX!" 

            _That was my…_

            He flung his head around to see Reena pale as a winter's pallid first flakes of snow, staring at him in disbelief.

            Rage hazed his vision in red, blocking everything but his former captors from his line of sight.  He trembled in wrath, mouth curling to form a feral snarl.

            Then, with the wrenching effort of one gone insane with rage, he poured energy from the heartstone into himself, arms raised as he unleashed bolts of pure power at the twelve mages.

            _Idiots,_ his crazed mind snarled softly, inhumanly, _idiots, to have even **dared** to take my mind._

            Up ahead, thunder roared as rain poured down on the vale.  Lightning flashed with each of the _adept's_ incoherent growls of anger.  Bolt after bolt reigned down on his cowering enemies, blasting one, two, three of them into oblivion, even more of them senseless with pain.  Screams punctuating the piercing shrieks of the whipping winds, the howls of the never ending thunder.

            Firesong was dimly aware of his name being yelled out frantically, but ignored the cry.  His bloodshot eyes could only concentrate on Reena, on Tara, on even the dark, thin master mage who had never uttered a word to his face.

            _They will die,_ his mind whispered ruthlessly_, they will all die._

            "Firesong!"

            He once again ignored the oddly familiar call.  It didn't matter.  Not to him.

            Or at least, not until he felt layer upon layer of shields upon him.

            _Fools!_

            With a contemptuous sweep of his hand, he blasted through the barriers and readied to strike at his new enemies.

            "Firesong! Stop!"

            His bolt of power readied, he flung it in the direction of the voice.

            "FIRESONG!"

            _Darian!_

            Recklessly, he pulled his weapon back into himself, crying out in overwhelming pain.

            _The attack!_ His mind clear, his memories came flooding back._  The heraldmage! And his companion! Silverfox!_

            Silverfox.

            Ignoring the pain threatening to crush his very consciousness, he scrambled towards the motionless body of the _kestra'chern_, only barely aware of the piles of dead wyrsa and injured Tayledras.  

            _Oh god, Silverfox.  _

            Staggering to his lover, he saw Silverfox's handsome face still and ashen, felt the energy that flowed so deeply within the _kestra'chern_ gone.  Reaching  for a wrist for any sign of a pulse, he felt nothing.  A void.  A void that threatened to consume him as he fell out of consciousness, into a welcome escape from realism. 


	10. Chapter 10

I had made another ending but my little sister complained. ah well.  It's longer but I couldn't get the lines to disappear.  So, here we go again:

Note: Last chapter. I like the ending. I've given up with the pictures, and anyway I seem to have broken my scanner, don't ask me how. Oops. Anyway, hope you enjoy this, and on with the story!

P.S. Thanks etcetera-cat for all the instruction on how to put up the pictures. I didn't really understand it, but thanks anyhow. 

P.P.S. My friend made a msn group thing for me and if you want to see the pictures they're the first three on 

w w w.groups.msn.com / sultardrawings minus the spaces, or something like that

Firesong had slipped in and out of darkness too many times to count. Day on day, night on night, there was pain, then nothingness, then pain again. Four, five, six times he felt himself fading, fading, only to be dragged back into agony once more.

_At least I know I'm alive. I hurt too much to be dead._

Then the day came when he could feel, and hear dimly, his surroundings. He knew when Keisha came in to tend to him, he heard Darian's quiet voice as he gave news about the vale, or read a passage of a novel. He felt the emptiness where Aya had been. Twice he tried to speak, to even move. Twice he failed to do so.

Three days flew by with him aware, yet immobile, unable to think.  Thinking was exhausting.  Thinking drove him back into unconsciousness.  And unconsciousness meant nightmares.

But consciousness came steadily, first an hour a day.  It very slowly increased to two, then three, then four. But with consciousness came confusion, and with confusion came questions.

_What did I do? After I broke the hold the mages had over me, what happened? If I did something right, would Silverfox still be alive? How could I do anything right, when I can't even remember what I did?_

He remembered rain, thunder, rage, screams. He remembered Reena's terrified expression. He remembered the pain of hurling node power at himself to stop it from hitting Darian. He remembered Darian's shocked disbelief.  He remembered Silverfox's still, unmoving body. Yet he could not fill in the gaps between the memories. Had he seen Silverfox before going after Reena, or had the opposite? Who had killed Silverfox? Had _he _been controlled to kill him? Yet more brief flashes of memory were lost as soon as they came, with him grasping vainly after them.

_I have to wake up. I have to ask Darian what happened._

_Silverfox isn't dead,_ his mind screamed desperately, blocking out the memory of his lover lying, pale and unmoving,_ Silverfox isn't dead.  I know he isn't.  I didn't kill him, and he survived.  He had the sense not to even fight.  _Yet he could not erase what he had seen.  He could _try_ to forget it, _try_ to block it out for a while, but he could not take it from his mind.  It came unbidden, drifting to him in the form of a nightmare, or holding him captive in a flashback.  W_hat have I done to deserve this? What have I done to deserve having the two most important in my life dead, one of them by my own hands?_

He knew, knew without a doubt, that it was he who had killed his bondbird. He knew that when he had sent his magic back into himself, Aya had received some of the backlash as well. Enough of a backlash to kill the aged bird he was.

_Aya is dead. I killed him. It was my fault that I lost control, and he had to pay for it.  It was my fault.  Everything was my fault.  The heraldmage, Silverfox, Aya. . ._

". . . ya," he whispered unconsciously into thin air.

Immediately, a shrill screech of chair scraping against floor sounded. Excited voices, barely suppressed shouts, echoed through the room.

_I think I'd better try to open my eyes now_, he thought regretfully_, before Keisha pulls them open with tweezers._

Firesong cautiously raised a lidded eye. 

Light! 

Brilliant rays of light flashed into his eyes, and he quickly held them shut once more.

"Curtains!" He heard Keisha order sharply.

The slight brushing of fabric signaled Firesong to open his eyes once more. In the dimmed light, he could barely make out Keisha standing at his bedside. Darian was jogging back from the curtains. Starfall clutched the chair he was on tightly in disbelief.  

"The others are still asleep. It's only a candlemark to dawn, after all," Keisha informed him, "and by the way, welcome back."

"You've been unconscious for six days," Darian added worriedly.

Firesong gave a weak smile, as Keisha whispered a little something to a _hertasi's_ ear.  He felt his stomach voicing its protests, and soon gave up trying to ignore its persistent rumbling.__

"So my stomach tells me," he croaked hoarsely.

            "I _would_ be rather worried if you hadn't said that," Starfall said with a trace of a smile, "We have water for you until the food arrives."

The water arrived promptly, and the _hertasi_ Keisha talked to hastily disappeared and reappeared with a tray laden with fruit, bread, and a bit of cheese. 

These disappeared as quickly as his fingers could allow. The cutlery he gave up using, his fingers clumsy with days motionlessness; his attempts ended with a fork on the floor and his knife quickly taken away.

"Not too much, nor too quickly," Keisha ordered, staring intently at him to make sure her instructions were being followed.

Firesong nodded as he wolfed down his food.

"What. . .happened?" He asked in between mouthfuls, "I can't. . .remember. . . a thing."

Darian glanced at Starfall, who bit his lip before nodding. 

"You can't remember anything at all?"

Firesong shook his head. _Not much, anyway._

"Well, you were captured by-"

Firesong glared at Darian, ignoring his food for just a moment.

"Not that! What about the battle?"

"Well. . ." Another glance at Starfall.  Another nod. "Well, Reena and her mages set _wyrsa _on us.  Specially adapted _wyrsa._  We really hadn't had much of a problem wven then, with the mages fighting them as well; they were quite stupid when it came to offensive magics.  They managed to kill some dyheli and tayledras -and almost killed Wintersky-, but we were fighting them off.  

That was when you came in.  You were still controlled by the mages, and they were trying to use you, I think, to demolish the vale.  Anyway, you nearly killed the heraldmage -nearly, mind- and I think you might have had, but were distracted by. . .someone."

Firesong lost his appetite then. He knew who the someone was.

_That must have been when Silverfox was killed. So he **was** killed._

The thought that had haunted him for days on end, that had been ridiculed with growing desperation, ignored and denied, came back. Silverfox. Dead.

            _I never really thought. . ._

"What happened next?" he whispered harshly, squashing the flood of tears until after the explanation.

            Starfall looked concerned, but Firesong hurriedly forced a mask over any devastated expression he might have.  Darian hesitated for a while, then continued.

"Well, you went into a bit of a frenzy after that. You destroyed the shields, killed all twelve mages -very ugly sight, too-, and called thunder and lightning and rain down upon the whole vale. The thunder was aimed at everyone in sight, _hertasi _and _dyheli _included.  The former went under cover.  The latter shielded themselves, I think.  The wyrsa had no shields, and no one to protect them, so they all died, and the vale members we shielded as best we could-"

"But?" __

"But some were injured. It doesn't matter.  No one was killed.  You actually saved a lot more than you hurt.  No one's blaming you.  You weren't acting rationally, but you had a reason.  And a very good one at that.  And even though you leveled the storm on allies and enemies alike, I suspect that you've got a lot of hero worship to avoid.

"Your storm kept growing in power, and soon all the mages in the vale put together couldn't shield the vale. So we tried to shield you. I'm guessing that you panicked a bit when you felt yourself under shields again. I believe that you thought we were capturing you, just like Reena and her mages did. You tried to blast me with. . . something, and you nearly did.  No one could get to you.  We were all screaming your name.  Thank the lady, though, you recognized me just in time to turn that weapon back on yourself.  I don't think I would have survived it like you have."

"It was powerful, very powerful, what you were casting," Starfall agreed quietly, "Powerful enough to have sent even you into a coma.  It might have destroyed more than just D'arian."

"You fought the coma in time to get to Silverfox," Darian cut in, "but then you lost the battle and, well, you've been unconscious until now."

Firesong flinched at Silverfox's name. 

_Don't remember. You needn't remember._

"And that's. . . it?" He asked softly.

"Yes, pretty much. The heralds are all fine, just a bit shaken by the events. The heraldmage's companion is still recovering -he broke his leg falling-, so they aren't going to be traveling again until some time later. The dark herald is gone. He disappeared without a trace by the second day.  The scouts couldn't see a trace of him. That actually caused some worry, and even a bit of panic, but Talia says that it was a lot like him, and not to worry. She said that he wasn't needed anymore. The funny thing is that I think she was referring to the companion instead of the herald. The herald's a she, not a he.  Or at least that was what Silverfox said."

"And the rest of the vale?" He needed to distract himself, to think of other things enough for Silverfox to fade away.

_As long as he never existed, I'm fine. I just need that bit of distraction._

"The rest of the vale is fine. There were two Tayledras, three bondbirds, and a few dyheli casualties. Other than that there are. . ."

_He means Silverfox. Silverfox isn't Tayledras.  Don't react.  Just don't listen_

"Two broken bows, a smashed sword, and two dozen rumors," came a familiar voice from the doorway.

_Silverfox!_

The _kestra'chern_ gave a small smile as he gazed at Firesong.

"And, of course, the feast that you so kindly washed away.  I hope the rain had a nice dinner," Silverfox allowed a bit of a barely compressed grin to flicker through his serene features, "So, _ke'chara_, how are you doing?"

Firesong gaped stupidly at him. Gaped until he reflected that maybe gaping wasn't his most attractive feature. Then he gave the widest grin his injured face could allow.

"Brilliant," he laughed, a laugh flavored with relief, joy, and, most of all, a hint of contentment, "just brilliant." 


End file.
